Shipping apparatus



May 19, 1942: J. BEAN SHIPPING APPARATUS 38heets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25,1940 INVENTOR.

BMF Rwy I ATTORNEYS.

May 19, 1942.

J, BEAN SHIPPING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-"Sheet 2 Filed March 25, 1940guxxxxxx l IN V EN TOR.

. A TTORNEYS.

May 19, 1942.

J. BEAN 2,283,308

SHIPPING APPARATUS Filed March 25, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

54 F 1 15 ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 19, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENTVAOAFFICE SHIPPING APPARATUSJames Bean, Alhambra, Calif.

Application March 25, 1940, Serial No. 325,727

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for packing or stowingobjects of irregular shape in containers for shipment. The embodiment ofthe invention herein described and illustrated is designed particularlyfor packing certain parts of automobiles in box cars for railwayshipment, although it may also be used without essential change for thepacking of other objects of generally similar shape in other shippingvehicles or containers.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide means for stowingthe greatest possible number of objects in a given space; to hold eachobject securely and rigidly in order to prevent shifting and damageduring transportation; to provide apparatus which can be quickly andeasily installed in a car during the loading of the articles to beshipped; and to provide apparatus which can be adapted to the stowingand holding of articles of different sizes. Other objects and advantagesof the invention will become apparent from the following description ofa preferred embodiment thereof, which should be read with theunderstanding that changes within the limits of the claims heretoappended may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of thevarious parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the automobile industry, it is customary to ship, large numbers ofparts or assemblies of parts from the factory to assembly plants. One

item which is handled in this manner is the steering gear assemblyconsisting of a, housing containing the worm gear and a comparativelylong shaft extending from said housing and rigidly connected with theworm therein. The housing has a boss extending from one side throughwhich projects a short shaft at right angles to the long shaftpreviously mentioned. Because of the length ofthe long shaft and thenecessity for preserving accurate'alignment of the various parts thesesteering gear assemblies are awkward and difiicult to ship successfully.It is for this purpose that the apparatus herein described has beendesigned.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of a portion of a freight car with theimproved stowing apparatus therein.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same taken on the line2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections taken on the lines 33 and4-4 of Fig. 2 respectively.

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a broken plan and a broken elevation ofone of the supporting bars on an enlarged scale.

Fig. '7 is a section of the same bar taken on the line 7-1 of Fig. 5.

Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a broken plan and a broken elevation ofone of the shaft supporting bars.

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are sections of the same on the respective linesl0-l0, ll-ll, and |2l2, of Fig. 9.

Figs. 13 and 14 are respectively a broken plan and a broken elevation ofone of the uppermost gear case clamping bars.

Fig. 15 is a section of the same on the line l5l5 of Fig. 14. v

The steering gear assemblies which are to be stowed and shipped areshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, as comprising a body portion or housing I 6and a long portion in the form of a shaft l1 extending therefrom. Thehousing I6 has a boss l8 projecting from one side, through which extendsa short shaft [9 at right angles to the long shaft H. The side walls andfloor of the car are shown at 20 and 2| respectively, and to said sidewalls are secured vertical strips 22 and 22' in which are holes 23 and23' arranged in pairs, as shown in Fig. 2.

gear case 7 The steering gear assemblies are stowed in in Figs. 1 and 2.

for support. The bars 24 which extend across between the outer strips 22are adapted to support the gear housings l6, and the bars 25 whichextend across between the middle strips 22' are adapted to support thelong shafts l1.

Each bar 24, as shown in Figs. 1 to 7, comprises a wooden member 26 ofapproximately square section reinforced by a steel angle member 21 onits bottom and one side. At one end of the bar the right hand end inFigs. 5 and 6, a U-shaped member 28 is secured, preferably by welding,to the bottom of the angle member 2! in such a position that it providestwo spaced pins 28' extending beyond the end of the bar and spaced aparthorizontally, the proper distance to enter the holes 23 in one of theside wall strips 22. At the other end of the bar are a pair of spacedmovable pins 29' formed preferably by a U-shaped member 29 whosemidportion is rotatably held in a strap 30 secured to the bottom of theangle member 21. It will be seen that the bar 24 can be mounted betweenany two opposite pairs of holes 23 by first inserting the fixed pins 28in the holes at one side while the bar is in a slightly inclinedposition, and then inserting the movable pins 29 in the holes at theopposite side and at the same time lowering that end of the bar uponsaid movable pins. The bar then becomes a weight supporting memberextending across the car.

A plate 3| approximately twice the width of the bar 24 is secured to thetop thereof by bolts 32. The plate 3| extends for slightly less than thefull length of the bar as shown in Figs. 1, and 6. The portion of saidplate which extends laterally over the side of the bar forms an upperflange which is bent downwardly at a slight angle, as shown in Fig. '7,and is provided with spaced holes 33, Fig. 5, forming sockets of properdiameter to receive the bosses 18 which project from the lower sides ofthe gear housingslB. Vertical transverse brackets 34 extend downwardlyfrom the overhanging flange portion of the plate 3! and are preferablywelded tosaid plate and to the anglemember 21 along their junctionstherewith as indicated at 35 in Fig. 7. r

A horizontal plate 36 is secured by bolts 31 to the brackets 34, and isaligned with the bottom of the bar 24, to form a lower flange spacedfrom the upper flange.

The shaft supporting bars 25, as illustrated particularly in Figs. 8 to12 preferably comprise upper and lower wooden member 38 and 39, thelower member 39 being reinforced by a fiat steel strip 40, to which aresecured a pair of fixed pins 4| at one end, and movable pins 42 at theother end, similar to the pins 29 and 3B of the bars 24. The two woodenmembers 38 and 39 are removably held together by suitable clampingmeans, preferably comprising pairs of steel strips 43 secured by bolts44 to the lower member 39 near the ends of the bar, the upper member 38being removably secured between said steel strips 43 by pins 45. Themembers 38 and 39 have matching semicylindrical sockets 46 adapted to.receive and clamp the long shafts I! of the steering gears asillustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, alternate sockets being inclinedoppositely.

The use of the apparatus above described will be clearly understood fromconsideration of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Considering only one tier ofloading, two ofthe bars 24 are placed imposition with their pins 29 andengaging the lowermost holes 23 of the strips 22, and one of the bars 25is engaged with the holes 23' of the strips 22' between the two bars 24,the upper member 38 of the bar 25 having been removed. A row of steeringgear assemblies are then placed on the bars 24 each with its boss 18extending through one of the holes 34 in said bars, and the long shaftsl1 resting in the sockets 46 of the bar 25. Another pair of bars 24 arethen positioned above the steering gear housings which are supported bythe lower pair of bars 24. The vertical spacing of the holes 23 is suchthat the bottom flanges of the upper bars 24 are close to or restlightly upon the tops of the gear housings which are supported by thelower pair of bars 24, thereby retaining said housings in position. Theupper wooden member 38 of the bar 25 is then placed in position, therebyclamping the long sion flange 5| reinforced by braces 52.

shafts I! in the sockets 46. A second bar 25 is positioned above thefirst bar 25 and the next row or layer of gear assemblies is placed inposition. This process is repeated until the tier is complete. Theuppermost row or layer of gear assemblies can be held in position bybars 24 if desired, although it is preferable, in order to save spaceand weight, to use special bars 41 at the top of the tier. I

This bar 41, illustrated particularly in Figs. 13, 14 and 15, comprisesan angle member 48 to the ends of which are secured fixed pins 49 andmovable pins 50, and which has a lateral flat exten- Inasmuch as thisspecial bar 41 has no gear housings to be supported by it, it has noholes, and is designed to resist upward rather than downward thrust. Themovable pins 50 are, therefore, locked to the bar after the latter hasbeen positioned by means of a clamp 53 and a pin 54, thereby locking theentire tier of gear housings solidly in position.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for stowing irregular objects in containers, said objectshaving relatively long portions projecting from one side. and relativelyshort portions projecting from another side at approximately rightangles to the long portions, comprising a plurality of removable weightsupporting bars extending horizontally across the container, said bar sbeing arranged in two horizontally spaced tiers, each bar having an.upper surface provided with a plurality of sockets formed to receive theshort. projecting portions of the objects, said objects resting. uponsaid upper surfaces of the bars of each tier with their long projectingportions directed toward the bars of the other tier, each bar having alower surface and being so spaced above the next lower bar of the tierthat said lower surface is close to the upper surface of the objectssupported by said next lower bar whereby the short projecting portionsof said objects are held in said sockets, a third tier of removable barsextending across the container between the two first mentioned tiers ofbars, the bars of the third tier being positioned to support the longprojecting portions of the objects, supporting members within thecontainer at the ends of said tiers of bars, and separable cooperatingconnecting means on said supporting members and on said bars. A

2. Apparatus for stowing irregular objects in containers, said objectshaving relatively long portions projecting from one side and relativelyshort portions projecting from another side at approximately rightangles to the long portions, comprising a plurality of removable weightsupporting bars extending horizontally across the container, said barsbeing arranged in two horizontally spaced tiers, each bar having anupper surface provided with a plurality of sockets formed to receive theshort projecting portions of the objects, said objects resting upon saidsurfaces of the bars of each tier with their long'projecting portionsdirected toward the bars 'of the other tier, each bar having a lowersurface and being so spaced above the next lower bar of the tier thatsaid lower surface is close to the upper surface of the objectssupported by said lower bar whereby the short projecting portions ofsaid objects are-held in said sockets, a third tier of removable barsextending across the container between the two first mentioned tiers ofbars, each bar of the third tier having a lower member and an uppermember, the long projecting 'pormeans on said supporting members and onsaidbars.

3. Apparatus for stowing irregular objects in containers, said objectshaving relatively lon portions projecting from one side and relativelyshort portions projecting from another side at.

approximately right angles to the long portions, comprising a pluralityof removable weight supporting bars extending horizontally across thecontainer, said bars being arranged in two horizontally spaced tiers,each bar having an upper surface provided with a plurality of socketsformed to receive the short projecting portions of the objects, saidobjects resting upon said upper surfaces of the bars of each tier withtheir long projecting portions directed toward the bars of the othertier, each bar having a lower surface and being so spaced above the nextlower bar of the tier that said lower surface is close to the uppersurface of the objects supported'by said next lower bar whereby theshort projecting portions of said objects are held in said sockets, athird tier of removable bars extending across the container between thetwo first mentioned tiers of bars, the bars of the third tier having aplurality of sockets positioned to receive and support the longprojecting portions of thevobjects, vertical supporting members fixed tothe side walls of the container, and cooperating connecting means'onsaid vertical members and on the ends of the bars for removablysupporting said bars.

4. Apparatus for stowing irregular objects in containers, each of saidobjects having a body portion and a long portion extending therefrom,comprising a plurality of horizontal bars extending across thecontainer, said bars being arranged in a vertical tier with a row ofsaid body portions between each two bars, said body portions resting onsaid bars and their long'portions being mutually parallel and directedawa from said tier, a second tier of horizontal bars extending acrossthe container remote from the first mentioned tier of bars, said longportions being engaged andsupported by the second tier of bars, andmembers at the sides of the container engaging the ends of the bars ofboth said tiers.

JAMES BEAN

